General
Kano Approves Siting of AKK Gas Pipeline Project in Tamburawa
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Kano State Government has approved Tamburawa in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area, along Zaria Road as a planning location for the siting of the proposed gas industrial layout under the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC’s) Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (APP) pipeline project.
This was disclosed by the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Muhammad Garba, after the State Executive Council meeting.
He explained that the approval was given to the state government NNPC-AKK Gas Pipeline Project Delivery and Gas Industrialization Committee (KNSG-PDIC) to set up its planning location at Tamburawa adjacent to Challawa Water Works where the Kano/AKK Terminal Gas station is proposed to be built.
Mr Garba stated that while a draft of the proposed layout has been produced, the council directed the state Bureau for Land Management to liaise with the committee and come up with final documents for the new industrial layout.
He also revealed that the council has ratified the award of contract for the reconstruction of Challawa Industrial Layout Road network at the cost of N393,237,697.00 million.
He pointed out that the road is of vital economic importance to the economy of the state in view of its proximity to the ongoing construction of Dala Inland Dry Port at Zawachiki that is expected to impact the development of manufacturing and industrial activities when it commences operation.
The council, he added, has given approval for the release of N23, 883, 464.45 million to the state Radio Corporation for the supply and installation of dehydrators, binary power supply and exciter for its transmitters at Jogana Transmission Station.
Mr Garba noted that the two components, which are essential items for the effective functioning of the transmission, have all gone faulty beyond repairs.
The Commissioner also disclosed that approval has also been given by the council for the payment of N80, 000.000.00 million one year allowances from a backlog of four years’ bursary allowances to the 59 MBBS, B.sc Masters and PhD. Kano state-sponsored students at the Near East University, Cyprus.
He said the council also directed the government verification team to authenticate the students and their academic performance before the implementation of a recommendation for instalment payment of the cumulative sum of N1, 123, 184, 893.5 billion as of November 26, 2020, to the university in two tranches of 50 per cent.
Mr Garba further revealed that with the setting in of the rainy season, the council has approved the sum of N85, 230, 234.00 million for the conduct of the annual drainage clearance exercise in the metropolis.
The Commissioner said the measure is to avert flooding from siltation of drainages as a result of indiscriminate waste disposal by people which affect the free flow of water, posing threat to life and property.
He said the council has also approved the substitution of the ministry of environment’s nursery located at Rano town to a new site within the local government.
The Commissioner said the decision was informed by the fact that the nursery has been inactive for decades due to lack of reliable source of water supply, persistently being encroached by settlement and request from member representing Rano constituency at the state House of Assembly to construct an ultra-modern Jumu’at Mosque and Islamiyya school at the location.
The council, he said has given approval for the payment of N32, 610, 000.00 as bereaved allowances to 664 deceased civil servants of various grades in the state who passed away from 2017 to February 2021.
He said payment of bereaved family allowance due to their families/heirs for the civil servants who died in active service is in line with extant civil service rule.
The state government also announced that as part of efforts to improve health care delivery services, the council has given approval for the provision of uniforms (yards) for 17, 480 staff of various health cadres at the cost of N193, 639, 136.71million.
He listed some of the beneficiaries of the two sets of uniforms to be provided to include doctors, nurses, midwives, laboratory scientists, technology/technical assistants, image scanning/radiographers/x-ray technicians, physiotherapist, a technical assistant, dental therapist/technical assistant, dietician/nutritionist, among others.
The Commissioner also indicated that the council has approved contract review from N331, 889, 971.51 million to N370, 773, 987.95 million based on a new harmonized rate for general renovation works at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Permanent Orientation Campsite, Kusalla Dam in Karaye local government area.
He said the contract was initially awarded in 2016 and as work progresses, prices of materials and labour charges skyrocketed which the contractor lamented, adding that the council has given approval for the state government to partner with the Sugarcane Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria for the cultivation of sugarcane in commercial quantity in the country.
He said the measure would go a long way in creating young farmers and entrepreneurs which is in line with the state government policy of skills acquisition programme that will uplift thousands of youth out of poverty and increase revenue generation for the state.
The commissioner also announced approval by the council for additional works in the contract for the upgrading of Gidan Shettima to serve as Emirate Council Headquarters for the five Emirs in the state at the cost of N49,893,466,00 million.
The additional work, he said, include the provision of office of the chairman, construction of additional floor to accommodate offices for four Emirs, increase the size of the council chamber and public gallery to adequately accommodate expanded members of the council and construction of a mosque and car park.
The Commissioner disclosed that the council has ratified the approval for the renovation and upgrading of Dawakin Tofa District Head Palace in Dawakin Tofa local government area.
He said the contract for the renovation exercise, which was initially awarded at the cost of N78, 801, 280.82 million, had to be revised to N99,340,773.87 million as a result of some additional vital works introduced that included among others, main Fada, gallery, Hakimi wing, VIP guest wing, new wall, Shamakhi, Generator house.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has issued a data protection compliance circular to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to promote public trust through data-driven governance.
The compliance directive is contained in Circular No. 59805/S.I/74, dated 27 July 2026, and signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr George Akume, according to a statement by the Head, Legal, Enforcement & Regulations, Mr Babatunde Bamigboye.
The initiative forms part of a continuum of regulatory measures that will be vigorously pursued as Nigeria advances towards the decisive frontiers of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The circular drew the attention of MDAs to a statement of President Bola Tinubu, where he said: “Data is the new oil”.
Mr Akume then directed all Ministries, Extra-Ministerial Departments and Agencies to capture the information rigorously and safeguard it under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDP Act).
The circular also directed MDAs to ensure full compliance with the NDP Act, Regulations, Guidelines, and Directives issued by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) in relation to the processing of personal data.
To this end, the Circular directs MDAs to, designate suitably qualified officers as Data Protection Officers (DPOs) to oversee data protection compliance and advise management on all matters relating to the lawful processing of personal data, ensure that the names and contact details of their designated DPOs are communicated to the NDPC for registration and official records; engage licensed Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCOs), where required, to facilitate compliance with the NDP Act and support the conduct of statutory compliance audits.
It also directed them to provide adequate budgetary allocation for data protection compliance activities, including capacity building, awareness programmes, deployment of appropriate technical safeguards, and periodic compliance audits; and submit all mandatory Data Protection Compliance Audit Returns and other statutory returns to the NDPC within the timelines prescribed by law.
The circular further states that “Permanent Secretaries, Accounting Officers and Chief Executive Officers of all MDAs shall be personally responsible for ensuring institutional compliance with the Circular and the provisions of the NDP Act.”
The National Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, Mr Vincent Olatunji, expressed the commission’s commitment to supporting data-driven governance.
Mr Olatunji maintained that data accountability is pivotal to achieving the eight Presidential Priorities. To provide full technical support to MDAs for the purpose of achieving compliance, the commission has constituted a regulatory clinic.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Yellow Card, a global stablecoin infrastructure provider, has raised $40 million in a strategic funding round to accelerate its international expansion and strengthen its digital payment infrastructure.
The funding round attracted investments from SC Ventures, the innovation and investment arm of Standard Chartered, Sony Innovation Fund, Polychain Capital, Blockchain Capital, and other strategic investors. With the latest raise, Yellow Card’s total equity financing has now exceeded $120 million.
The company said the fresh capital will be used to scale its Global US Dollar Accounts, an end-to-end dollar account designed for businesses, while expanding the stablecoin payment rails that connect businesses to markets around the world.
Yellow Card’s chief executive, Mr Chris Maurice, described the investment as a strong endorsement of the company’s long-term vision, noting that the company has spent years building infrastructure that allows businesses to move money globally without relying on traditional correspondent banking systems.
He added that the next phase of growth will focus on helping banks connect directly to stablecoin payment rails, enabling faster and more efficient cross-border transactions while expanding access to US Dollar services for businesses.
SC Ventures chief executive, Mr Alex Manson, said stablecoins are becoming an important part of global payments, but noted that widespread adoption will depend on reliable infrastructure and practical use cases.
He said Yellow Card has built the payment rails businesses across Africa need to move money efficiently across borders and expressed confidence in the company’s ability to expand both within Africa and internationally.
The investment also marks growing interest from global institutions in stablecoin-based payments. Sony Innovation Fund said its backing reflects confidence in Yellow Card’s ability to build digital payment infrastructure for emerging markets.
Mr Austin Noronha, Managing Director at Sony Ventures-US, said the company believes Yellow Card is creating the technology needed to help banks, financial technology firms and enterprises move money faster and more securely.
He added that the company looks forward to supporting Yellow Card as it expands beyond Africa into Latin America, the Middle East, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
Yellow Card said the funding will also support the wider rollout of its Global USD Accounts, which allow businesses to hold U.S. dollars, manage treasury operations, swap stablecoins, and collect or make payments in local currencies across more than 50 countries.
The company noted that the platform is already being used by major customers, including Visa and Western Union.
Founded to simplify cross-border payments through digital assets, Yellow Card has processed more than $10 billion in transactions across its network. The company supports over 50 currencies and holds licences, authorisations and registrations in 22 jurisdictions across North America, Europe and Africa.
Yellow Card has also established strategic partnerships with global payment companies including Visa, Mastercard, PayPal and Coinbase as it positions itself as a key infrastructure provider for international digital payments.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Economic Council (NEC) has approved a $4.5 billion arrangement for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited aimed at strengthening the country’s external reserves and freeing up funds for infrastructure.
This is part of the refinancing of the $3.3 billion Project Gazelle Pre-Export Finance Facility through a new $4.5 billion facility named “Project Gazelle 2”.
The approval allows NNPC Limited to refinance the outstanding balance of approximately $1.5 billion under the original 2023 facility, while unlocking an additional $3 billion in liquidity to strengthen the country’s external reserves and support ongoing fiscal and infrastructure priorities of the government.
NEC’s approval followed a presentation by the Minister of Finance, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, which was presented by the Chairman of the Council, Vice President Kashim Shettima, underscoring the importance of the project.
NEC observed the significance of unlocking additional liquidity to the federation, among other benefits, pledging its support for the actualisation of the initiative.
The Finance Minister explained that the refinancing has been structured on more favourable terms than the original facility, including a reduction in the volume of pledged crude oil from 90,000 barrels of oil per day to approximately 78,750 barrels of oil per day – a 12.5 per cent reduction.
He noted that under the new arrangement, an additional 11,250 barrels of oil per day for the federation will be released, while there will be a reduction in the pledged crude volumes by the state oil company.
Mr Oyedele added that while accessing additional liquidity on improved terms, the arrangement is freeing up resources for strategic national priorities while strengthening the country’s financing structures.
“The arrangement is freeing up resources for strategic national priorities while strengthening the country’s financing structures,” he said.
VP Shettima called for a responsive, scalable, and data-driven social protection policy to tackle multidimensional poverty in Nigeria.
According to Mr Shettima, government policies are often heard before they are seen, speak through the price of food, condition of hospitals, records in schools, strain on families, the confidence of those who invest their labour in the nation’s future, and, very importantly, the ambitions of state governments.
He implored members of Council to ensure that every decision they make assure the citizens “that their government is paying attention to the pulse of the nation and is resolved to respond with competence, compassion and purpose.”
